Exodus 28:15
in Exodus 28You are also to make a breastpiece of judgment with the same workmanship as the ephod. Construct it with gold, with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and with finely spun linen.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And thou shalt make a breastplate of judgment, the work of the skilful workman; like the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, shalt thou make it.
KJV
And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt thou make it.
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This verse in Exodus 28
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThe breastplate of judgment - חשן משפט choshen mishpat, the same as the חשן choshen, see Exo 25:7, but here called the breastplate of judgment, because the high priest wore it upon his breast when he went to ask counsel of the Lord, to give judgment in any particular case; as also when he sat as judge to teach the law, and to determine controversies. See Lev 10:11; Deu 17:8, Deu 17:9.
This site's exposition
Fashion gold filigree settings
on Exodus 28:13-16
Gold settings and braided chains hold the breastplate, and every fitting that touches it is pure gold. The piece is square and folded double, which makes it a pouch, and verse 30 depends on that doubling.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
How near should Christ's name lie to our hearts, since he is pleased to lay our names so near his? And what a comfort is it to us, in all our addresses to God, that the great High Priest of our profession has the names of all his Israel upon his breast, before the Lord, for a memorial, presenting them to God?
And thou shall make the breastplate of judgment,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work--a very splendid and richly embroidered piece of brocade, a span square, and doubled, to enable it the better to bear the weight of the precious stones in it.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
CHAINS. The middle root letter has been doubled in sharsherot (chains). 134 The original root of sharsherot is shin, resh, shin.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 7 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
17 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעָשִׂ֜יתָ | veasita | and you will make | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| חֹ֤שֶׁן | choshen | a breastpiece of | H2833 → | 25 times |
| מִשְׁפָּט֙ | mishpat | judgment | H4941 → | 422 times |
| מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה | maaseh | [the] work of | H4639 → | 236 times |
| חֹשֵׁ֔ב | choshev | a skillful worker | H2803 → | 124 times |
| כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה | kemaaseh | like [the] work of | H4639 → | 236 times |
| אֵפֹ֖ד | ʾefod | [the] ephod | H646 → | 49 times |
| תַּעֲשֶׂ֑נּוּ | taasenu | you will make it | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| זָ֠הָב | zaho | gold | H2091 → | 389 times |
| תְּכֵ֨לֶת | tekhelet | violet stuff | H8504 → | 49 times |
| וְאַרְגָּמָ֜ן | veargaman | and purple | H713 → | 38 times |
| וְתוֹלַ֧עַת | vetolaat | and scarlet stuff of | H8438 → | 43 times |
| שָׁנִ֛י | shani | scarlet | H8144 → | 42 times |
| וְשֵׁ֥שׁ | veshesh | and fine linen | H8336 → | 41 times |
| מָשְׁזָ֖ר | mashezar | twisted | H7806 → | 21 times |
| תַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה | taaseh | you will make | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אֹתֽוֹ׃ | ʾoto | <obj.> it | H853 → | 10935 times |
וְעָשִׂ֜יתָand you will make
veasitaH6213 →2628 times
חֹ֤שֶׁןa breastpiece of
choshenH2833 →25 times
מִשְׁפָּט֙judgment
mishpatH4941 →422 times
מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה[the] work of
maasehH4639 →236 times
חֹשֵׁ֔בa skillful worker
choshevH2803 →124 times
כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֥הlike [the] work of
kemaasehH4639 →236 times
אֵפֹ֖ד[the] ephod
ʾefodH646 →49 times
תַּעֲשֶׂ֑נּוּyou will make it
taasenuH6213 →2628 times
זָ֠הָבgold
zahoH2091 →389 times
תְּכֵ֨לֶתviolet stuff
tekheletH8504 →49 times
וְאַרְגָּמָ֜ןand purple
veargamanH713 →38 times
וְתוֹלַ֧עַתand scarlet stuff of
vetolaatH8438 →43 times
שָׁנִ֛יscarlet
shaniH8144 →42 times
וְשֵׁ֥שׁand fine linen
vesheshH8336 →41 times
מָשְׁזָ֖רtwisted
mashezarH7806 →21 times
תַּעֲשֶׂ֥הyou will make
taasehH6213 →2628 times
אֹתֽוֹ׃<obj.> it
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Exodus 28:30And place the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece of judgment, so that they will also be over Aaron’s heart whenever he comes before the LORD. Aaron will continually carry the judgment of the…
it leads to
- Ezra 2:63
The governor ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest to consult the Urim and Thummim.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Nehemiah 7:65
The governor ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest to consult the Urim and Thummim.
- Deuteronomy 33:8
Concerning Levi he said: “Give Your Thummim to Levi and Your Urim to Your godly one, whom You tested at Massah and contested at the waters of Meribah.
- Numbers 27:21
He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who will seek counsel for him before the LORD by the judgment of the Urim. At his command, he and all the Israelites with him—the entire congregation—will…
- Leviticus 8:8
Then he put the breastpiece on him and placed the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece.
- Ezra 2:63
Through
Exodus 26:1“You are to construct the tabernacle itself with ten curtains of finely spun linen, each with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and cherubim skillfully worked into them.
it leads to
- Exodus 36:8–19
All the skilled craftsmen among the workmen made the ten curtains for the tabernacle. They were made of finely spun linen, as well as blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, with cherubim skillfully worked into…
- Exodus 26:36
For the entrance to the tent, you are to make a curtain embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen.
- Exodus 26:31
Make a veil of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen, with cherubim skillfully worked into it.
- Exodus 36:8–19
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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On this verse
About Exodus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch.